Who will be remembered as the greater fighter

I am not arguing that you're wrong. You just described in great detail how a fighter like Pacquiao, or Gatti (who is not as talented as Pacquiao) becomes legendary because he taps into that part of human emotion that makes people remember him. However, this not the only human emotion that inspires such memorable status.

Awe inspiring, unbelievable talent does this as well. It's proven over and over that our society will place some people on pedastools because of something different they possess that their peers do not. Jones Jr possessed that talent, and while not putting it to it's greatest use or pushing it to it's greatest limits, he certainly put it to good use and made his mark. Definitely enough so that he will be remembered as one the best there ever was, something I don't think Pacquiao will achieve.

But these are just two aspects of "greatness" and much more comes into play when you remember fighters. The best there ever were are mostly remembered for their remarkable feats in the ring, or overall accomplishments. Yes, Ali evokes more emotion than nearly any American athlete in memory. It is still not enough to push him past Robinson in most people's minds as the best fighter ever. For some, it doesn't even push him past Louis as the best HW of all time. So while he may be dearer to the hearts than either, and may have had more memorable fights than either, the other attributes of other fighters put them on his level or in some cases past him.

Neither Jones Jr or Pacquiao are on that level or emotional standing with the majority of boxing fans. But Pacquiao is certainly closer to the type of greatness Ali evokes than Jones is. But Jones is much closer than Pacquiao in evoking the emotion of "awe" in boxing fans. They are different types of greatness and different attributes.

I don't feel, and I think MOST don't feel, that Pacquiao as accomplished as he is, and even with that warrior mentality he will be remembered for, has done enough to overcome the awe inspiring type of greatness that Jones displayed along with his overall accomplishments in the ring. Pacquiao may make you feel more because of the determination and the spirit he shows, but Jones isn't that guy. He was simply a dominant and nearly unbeatable fighter, and that in itself inspires people who are awe struck by the great dynasties of other sports and are drawn to that type of greatness.

 

I don't disagree at all on that sentiment. Pacquiao will be a legendary fighter no doubt when he retires and much of that will be based on what you layed out...